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The Supreme Patriarch or Sangharaja ((タイ語:สังฆราช); ) is the head of the order of Buddhist monks in Thailand. Its full title is ''Somdet Phra Saṅgharāja Sakalamahāsaṅghapariṇāyaka'' ((タイ語:สมเด็จพระสังฆราช สกลมหาสังฆปริณายก); ; "the Supreme Patriarch, the Head of all Members of the Sangha"). Nowadays the Supreme Patriarch is formally appointed by the King of Thailand upon advice of the Prime Minister and with the approval of the Supreme Sangha Council, an administrative body of the Thai Sangha. The Supreme Patriarch has legal authority to oversee both of Thailand's Theravada sub-orders, the Maha Nikaya and the Thammayut Nikaya, as well as the small minority of Mahayana Buddhists in the country. He is also the President ex officio of the Supreme Sangha Council There has been recent discussion about reforming the Thai Sangha's leadership structure, including a 2002 proposal which would have moved many of the Sangha Council's and the Supreme Patriarch's powers to a new executive council. The incumbent Supreme Patriarch is Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara Suvaddhana Mahathera, who has served in this position since 1989. He was aged 100, and after suffering from increasingly serious health problems, died on 24 October 2013, as mentioned in a headlines article on the Bangkok Post website. In 2003, because of questions about the Supreme Patriarch's ability to fulfill his duties, the government of Thailand appointed a special committee to act in his stead. In early 2004, Somdet Kiaw (also known as Buddhacharya) was appointed acting Supreme Patriarch, an office that he held until his death in 2013. The role of the Supreme Patriarch, even the existence of a Sangha Council, is debated in Thailand. Recent news of the Supreme Patriarch's worsening condition has led to considerable speculation in the Thai media about the identity of his eventual successor, similar to the speculation that surrounds the Pope at the end of his life. By tradition, the Supreme Patriarchate alternates between members of Thailand's two main Theravada Buddhist orders. Because Nyanasamvara Suvaddhana is of the Thammayut Nikaya, this implies that the next Supreme Patriarch will come from the Maha Nikaya. The acting Supreme Patriarch, Somdet Kiaw, is seen as a favorite, but he was actively opposed by Venerable Ajahn Maha Bua, an influential northeast Thailand temple abbot and religious leader, who has since died.()() ==List of Supreme Patriarchs== 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Supreme Patriarch of Thailand」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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